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| australianguitarmag.com.au
92 | REVIEWS
MARKBASS NINJA 102 500SMALL IS GOOD. LOUD IS GOOD. SMALL AND LOUD IS GREAT. BY STEVE HENDERSON
In less than 20 years, Markbass has become
the premiere, got-to-have-it amp/cab builder
for bass professionals and amateurs alike,
pushing aside more established brands and
continuing to refine the line with innovative ideas
and no-nonsense products.
The range is quite diverse, but the recurring
theme is great tone, simple controls and amazing
portability. To say that they are lightweight is
like saying Paul McCartney has written some nice
tunes. You can easily pick up a 410 cab with one
hand and an 800-watt, full-function bass head will
fit into the pocket of your gig bag.
Likewise, their guitar lines (under the DV Mark
banner) are lightweight, full of features and
toneful, with monsters like Frank Gambale finding
“the sound” within the simple control layout of a
standard DV Mark amp.
EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE
The Markbass Ninja 102 500 is virtually the
perfect product: simple to use, easy to lug and
satisfying to hear. The cab part is a rear-ported,
two-by-ten plus super tweeter-loaded box that
is barely wider than the speakers and just tall
enough to incorporate the 83 millimetre high
Little Mark Ninja head.
The Ninja is a 500-watt (into four ohms) brain
that features input gain and master volume
controls (the yellow knobs), line out (also yellow)
and six tone controls (sort of). The back panel has a
speakON out, tuner out, an effects loop, a pre/post
switch, a ground lift switch and a built-in DI with an
XLR output. It’s only 276 millimetres wide, too.
The Ninja delivers like no other compact bass
combo I’ve heard. Played with an alder-bodied
Precision Bass (with a Jazz Bass treble pickup),
with all amp tone knobs at noon and the VPH/
VLE circuits off, the Ninja 102 offers a warm and
woody sound that seems to bloom richly into
the room. The attack is fast and full, but there’s
an ‘aftertaste’ that spreads out to envelope the
listener, like a compressor opening up.
Place it in a corner or against a wall, and the
bloom is fairly quick; place it further from the
reflective surface, and there’s some latency in
that bloom, sort of like a pre-delay. Sit it up on a
chair or in an amp cradle or stand, and you’ll hear
a subsonic image coming back from under the
amp. The P-Bass pickup sounds mighty through
the two tens – a woody attack followed by a
harmonic sustain. Dig in a bit for that fabulous
Precision grunt, where it sort of growls a little on
the attack of the note.
This is a rock’n’roll tone that fits into almost any
style of the genre, from emo to blues. The J-bass
pickup has a snappy attack and plenty of cutting
power, and if you’re in the market for some funky
tones and portability, look no further. The Ninja
delivers funk like it was designed specifically for
the Brothers Johnson.
A BONAFIDE WINNER
That said, the folks at Markbass actually had
Richard Bona in mind. Playing something more in
line with his style reveals a smooth sweetness in
the Ninja that is even more infectious than those
other classic sounds.
The Ninja has a level of subtleness to its
delivery that is not immediately noticeable. This
is where the touch-sensitivity of the Ninja kicks
in: play brashly – maybe with a pick – and you’ll
| 93
WHAT WE RECKON CONTACT
PROS Professional build quality
Simple operation
Very portable
CONS
Brightly coloured aesthetic might Brightly coloured aesthetic might not be for everyone
CMC MUSIC
(02) 9905 2511 cmcmusic.com.au
RRP: $2,395
TOP 5 FEATURES
• 500 watts
• Two ten-inch speakers
• Light and portable
• Rear ported
• Built-in DI
find a plethora of great rock tones. But play
dynamically with fingers and there’s loads of
nuance to be found.
The Ninja can present four-string bass
chords without any grind or clash. Harmonics
sit sweetly through a couple of octaves above
the fundamentals, and those ten-inch speakers
effortlessly handle the complexity of the
overtones so that they don’t rub up against each
other. There’s no distortion of fuzziness – just
clarity and harmonic depth.
The VPF and VLE controls should be used
sparingly at first – the more you get to know the
amp, the more effective these circuits become.
Think of them as a couple of extra tone controls
that work with, but outside the scope of, the main
tone stack. The Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator is
particularly effective in adding some organic feel,
but a little goes a long way.
In effect, it takes out some of the brilliance for
an old school vibe – some rock’n’roll thud. The VPF
highlights the lows and highs while cutting the
mids for a woodier tone, which is very cool if your
bass has a preamp (this will soften it) or if you’re
just into that scooped tone and softer attack.
Just for fun, I plugged in a Maton MSH-210D
acoustic-electric and found that the Ninja is
equally happy with six strings an octave up. If you
need an acoustic amp with oodles of juice and
plenty of bottom-end, this may be what you’re
after. The two tens are perfect for the body of an
acoustic tone, and the super tweeter adds some
top-end sparkle.
THE BOTTOM LINE
With the Ninja 102 500, Markbass have really
nailed the power and tone versus portability
issue. Unless you’re after that whole heavy metal
subsonic thing, the Ninja will deliver a sweet and
even tone across the frequency spectrum without
breaking your back or bank account.
One of the most complete pieces of gear I’ve
ever seen, the Ninja is gig-ready and studio
quality; the sound is audiophile without the
sterility; the attitude is hi-fi with heart.
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